If only you know if only i could tell '
by tomcat-all-2001
Summary: story about how life can catch up with you


Title -  
  
'If only you knew ... if only I could tell you ...'  
  
Story or series. A romance story about how friendships can be created and turn in to something else even when you have not set eyes on that person for a long time. It is also about family history and not telling everyone the whole truth when you meet them.  
  
Involving all of the JAG staff (Harm, Mac, Sturgis, Bud, Harriet, AJ, etc) and some others (Keeter, Bobbi, Meredith, Francesca, Mr. Webb, etc).  
  
I DO NOT OWN any of the characters but I am just borrowing them for this story or series I am writing.  
  
Written by Allison (tomcat_all_2001@yahoo.com.au)  
  
It's my first story, so go easy on me.  
  
Rating - between G and PG  
  
***********  
  
PART ONE  
  
***********  
  
July 4th  
  
1250 Zulu  
  
AJ's House MacLean, Washington DC  
  
AJ had organized a JAG gathering with partners and children at his house to celebrate the 4th of July holiday.  
  
Outside in his backyard for this lunch were most of the JAG crew: Harm and Mac, (who were looking more and more like a couple, as Harm had his hands on either side of Mac's waist); Bobbi and Sturgis; Harriet, Bud and little AJ; Gunny; Tiner; and the rest of the crew.  
  
Since this gathering was about families, there were some other non-JAG members there as well: Chloe, who could not be happier that her "sister" and Harm were a couple; Francesca and her husband of 3 years, Steven James and their daughter Kathleen; Meredith; Admiral Boone; and Jack Keeter. The only person missing was Anne Katherine. She was Kathleen's godmother and the baby could get anything from her. Anne Katherine was also AJ's and Tom Boone's goddaughter. Both were worrying what kind of trouble she had gotten into to cause her late arrival. Webb was present so he could not be the reason for her lateness.  
  
Sturgis noticed that Jack turned up alone, but he had called Katherine O'Keller who was another Academy friend, to come. Since Katherine had come stateside she and Jack were talking quite a lot as they had in the good old days at the Academy.  
  
'Jack' Sturgis said.  
  
'Yes, old Buddy' replied Jack who was standing next to him in the group with Harm, Mac, Bobbi and Sturgis watching little AJ play with Chloe and Kathleen.  
  
'Drop the OLD will you?' Sturgis said, and Jack gave him a 'WHO ME' look, but Sturgis just let it go by and kept talking 'I thought you asked Kate to come?'  
  
'I did, but since she has come stateside she had not gotten any time off to see her two godfathers. She had already spoken to them and agreed to see them today before I called to ask her to this.'  
  
'How is she by the way? I heard she was at Andrews now.' Harm said.  
  
'She's fine. Enjoying not being awakened by Tomcats launching off a carrier, and yes, she is at Andrews and gives all the Flyers down there a run for their money'.  
  
Bobbi and Mac had not heard of this Katherine before, in all of their time knowing these three, so Mac asked, 'Who's this Katherine, Harm?'  
  
'She's an old Academy friend of ours. She was in some of the same classes, like Lit, and Naval History, and managed to help get us out of a few taught spots when it came to notes and studying for exams', Harm replied. It sounded just like that, that they were all friends and had not heard or seen each other in a long time.  
  
'What was she doing before she transferred stateside and what does she do?' asked Bobbi.  
  
'She's an aviator and she's just finished a tour of ... how long was that last tour?' Sturgis asked  
  
'Ah, nearly 1 and 1/2 years on the USS Seahawk and Coral Sea. Then she jumped from carrier to carrier and some shore posts, like Germany and France, when she was needed' came Jack's reply.  
  
'She's an aviator?' The shocked question came from Bobbi; Mac had the good grace to remain silent. She knew women could handle being pilots better than Bobbi did, as she had seen more female pilots in her time as a JAG lawyer.  
  
'Bobbi, don't seem so surprised, she has the best qual records for active and inactive pilots in the US Navy' said Harm.  
  
'Harm, you sound like she is unbeatable!' teased Mac. She knew it took a lot to let Harm and Jack to admit that someone was a better pilot then they were.  
  
Harm did not have the time to answer Mac's question, Jack got in first: 'That she is, that she is. I have learned from experience, and I am not the only one.'  
  
'Hey, if I remember correctly, if we had gotten proper intel from CIC, then we would not have run into trouble over Libya! She did pull quite a few of us out of trouble; you and Painter more than me. But you have to admit that her scores have always been good and you can always depend on Kath when you are in the air, low on gas and have a MIG on your tail!'  
  
'She's not the only one who has gotten these two out of trouble' Sturgis said.  
  
'But how.' began Bobbi  
  
'.If she's in the air and you're under water? It does not add up.' finished Mac.  
  
'Do you remember hearing of a bombing of a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean near Bering Sea?' Sturgis said (((WHERE?)))  
  
'Yes, no one knew why that was such a big deal.' Bobbi's replied.  
  
'It was a big deal because that fishing vessel was Russian, with torpedoes that could sink subs. The sub I was in was in that area and we needed someone to fly over the vessel and bomb it. It turns out Katherine can fly planes other than Tomcats. She was the pilot of that particular plane, managed to save a crew of bubbleheads and got a medal for it.'  
  
'I can't wait to meet this Katherine. I can just imagine the stories she has on you three!! !' giggled Mac.  
  
'Oh no' cried Harm, Sturgis and Jack simultaneously.  
  
'It's a good thing she's not here then, isn't it?' smiled Harm.  
  
Little did they know who was ringing the front doorbell at that very moment.  
  
**********  
  
PART TWO  
  
*********** Meanwhile  
  
Outside the front door of AJ's house was a young lady standing tall in a Navy Uniform with Captain Stripes and CAG insigne on her chest, along with other insigne she had received during her 15 year career in the US Navy. She had short brownish-red hair, the bluest eyes and a smile that could light up a room, if given the right reason, just like her goddaughter.  
  
The Captain was not from the area but she visited from time to time to see her godfathers who have been her guardians since the tender age of 7, when her parents were killed in a head-on car crash. They had been on a vacation, just the three of them. Her father had finished his 3rd tour in 'Nam and would've been home for good taking up a post in Miami as a flight instructor at a flight school.  
  
Her godfathers had gotten her through High School, the Academy, Flight School, her first heartbreak. But they both knew that they could never replace her father who she held so close to her heart, even wearing his Academy ring on her dog tags.  
  
As she thought back on those memories, she realised that her mother would be cursing her right now for following in her father's footsteps: joining the Navy and going to Flight School, but she would also be proud of her for what she had done in her life. She had also graduated with a Masters in International Law and International Military Law (no one in her class at the Academy knew about these law degrees, which came in handy in her role as CAG).  
  
She decided now was the best time to ring the door bell, to see her godfathers who she had not seen in the flesh for about 3 years and of course Francesca and her husband and their daughter.  
  
She walked 5 steps up the path to the front door to ring the bell.  
  
'Ding Dong, Ding Dong' the bell sounded.  
  
Inside Same time  
  
'Francesca, can you please get the door, it might be Anne Katherine. I am adding the finishing touches to lunch. If it is her, she better have a good excuse for being 30 minutes late!' AJ said and he pulled the oven door open to get the chicken lasagna out.  
  
'Kay, Papa' Francesca replied.  
  
'And if it is my goddaughter, make sure she can explain why she is late' AJ said in that tone of voice that made everyone worry about the excuse they used.  
  
*Oh no* Francesca thought *let's hope she has a good excuse for being late. She was probably flying and got caught up*.  
  
***********  
  
PART THREE  
  
***********  
  
'I'm coming ' Francesca said She was worried about what her Papa was going to say to Anne Katherine when she arrived.  
  
Francesca opened the door: it was Anne Katherine.  
  
Francesca and Anne Katherine or Kate as she was know by her Academy and flight school mates, had known each other since Kate was 5 and Francesca was 3.They used to play together when their families gathered, but where Kate had been interested in flying, Francesca had been interested in dress making. Even though their interests were not the same, they were like sisters to each other. When Kate's parents were killed, Francesca's father, Uncle AJ, had taken Kate in and accepted her as one of the family because Kate did not have any other family.  
  
'I am so pleased you are finally here' Francesca said; as she gave her "sister" a huge bear hug, ' Papa was really worried about you. You normally call if you are running late. I am sure Papa and Uncle Tom were thinking the worst-that you had been in an accident' Francesca said while still hugging her.  
  
'Well, hello to you too, Francesca' Kate said sarcastically as Francesca released her from the embrace.  
  
'I was running late was because I had just finished flying morning traps with some of my squadron members of NAVY 3471 (or Tigers) who still need to make up hours before the annual Carrier Quals at the end of next week' Kate said as she walked from the front door, down the hall to the kitchen to see her overprotective godfather, who had been like a second dad to her.  
  
Meanwhile In the Kitchen  
  
'Admiral?' Mac and Bobbi asked.  
  
AJ gave them a look that said 'No rank today, OK?'  
  
'Ah, sorry, AJ. Could we help get lunch ready?' Mac asked.  
  
'Thank you anyway, but I think Meredith and I have everything under control in here, but you could let everyone know that lunch will be ready whenever my goddaughter gets here.'  
  
'Goddaughter, sir?' was all Mac could say.  
  
Meanwhile Walking into the kitchen  
  
'Does Papa know?' Francesca asked.  
  
'Does Papa know what Anne Katherine?' asked her godfather as she walked in to the kitchen.  
  
'Gee thanks, I am not even here 5 minutes and you already have me in trouble, Francesca. Hello to you too, Uncle AJ ' said Kate.  
  
'What aren't you telling me?' AJ asked suspiciously.  
  
***********  
  
PART 4  
  
***********  
  
'Do you really want to know what I am not telling you, Uncle AJ?' Anne Katherine asked. She used that tone so well as the CAG at Andrews.  
  
Knowing that he was going to respond to her question, she continued 'The fact that I have spent the last nine hours in a cockpit of the Tomcat F14? That I have a really bad headache? The fact that I am trying to get everyone in my squadron up to the correct number of hours so that they will be able to do their annual Carrier Quals? Or that my annual Carrier Quals are on the USS Seahawk at the end of this week and I have had the SecNav breathing down my neck regarding the Missile X scores for the entire east coast flight group and everything else? So please don't start ', her voice in the end was almost pleading for him not to react.  
  
But it was not her uncle that reacted, it was Francesca. 'No wonder you look tired' she said 'but at least you have the weekend off, right?'  
  
'Well.' was all Katherine could say before she was cut off.  
  
'Please tell me you have the weekend free' Francesca said in a pleading voice which she rarely got to use on Kate. She had really wanted to spend some time with her this weekend.  
  
'I do, but I am on call because of the new Home Defense Flight System. All fighter pilots are a part of it, since last year's events' Katherine replied.  
  
This conversation played out in front of Mac, Bobbi and Meredith though none of them had been introduced, yet. But they did notice the Navel Uniform she was wearing.  
  
The ladies found the familial reactions and behaviors of three to be quite interesting.  
  
'On call ...' Francesca sighed in disbelief.  
  
**********  
  
PART 5  
  
**********  
  
'Who's on call?' asked the voice from behind the screen door to the backyard.  
  
'Me' was Kate's reply. She turned around to see who it was, 'Uncle Tom!' she cried.  
  
'Anne Katherine, you finally decided to make it off base, did you?' he replied.  
  
'Uncle Tom, I was coming but I just got a little caught up' Kate said sheepishly.  
  
'A little caught up? You were 45 minutes late!' AJ responded.  
  
'Are you two ' Kate began as she pointed to them, ' going to keep doing this to me for the rest of the day?'  
  
'Doing what?' they asked innocently. They would do anything to keep her out of trouble.  
  
'Attacking me for being late. I already told you why I was late: I have Quals coming up and I need everything in order so that I can keep my squadron with top scores for Quals and Missile X. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go change.' Katherine said. She was about to walk off when she was stopped by the voices of her godfathers...  
  
'Captain Anne Katherine O'Keller, about face!' Whenever she did not listen to them, they would pull rank. *Ah, the privileges of being an Admiral*, they thought.  
  
Mac, Meredith, Bobbi and Francesca just stood there to watch what was about to happen. 


End file.
